The Portland daily press., 1887-08-09
CANADIAN VIGILANCE.
war Ships and Steam Launches to
Replace the Cruisers.
American officiais Tearing Up clrcu-
lars and Warning Fishermen.
Canadian Lawyers Think Captain
McDonald's Case Good One.
Especial to the PREss.l ]

Especial to the PREss.l
HALIFAX, N. s., Aug s,-Skipper Nc
Donald, whose vessel. the Perkins. is under
seizure at Souris, again wired Consul Gen er-
al Phelan, today, urging him to 20 to Souris
and take personal charge of his case
Queens Consul Hodgeson, law agent of the
Canadian government, arrived at Souris to-
day, to take charge Of the legal part of the
matter for the Dominion Government. The
| informers, whose evidence led to the seizure
of the Perkins, now also allege that the
men who shipped on board her, also took
out supplies Of potatoes. This, if true,
would make her liable for three alleged Of
| fences. 1t is serious question in the minds
| of Halifax lawyers acquainted with the le-
gal bearing of the case. as to whether the
Perkins, even if she did ship men inside the
limit, can be held to have violated the treaty
| The great point argued against the Adams
and Doughty was that by purchasing bait
they were preparing to fish," but there
was no question that that bait was obtained
inside the limit Even if the shipment of
the men, was also held to be preparing to
fish, within the meaning of the stat
ute, that could not apply to the
Perkins unless it is clearly proved
that she was inside the line, while
so far the Canadians have only the
statements of the two informers TO that eff
feet, while Skipper Mcdonald emphatically
denies 1t, and he is presumably supported in
his, denial by the resu of the crew,
including the men taken ON board Thursday.
A settlement Of the point will, however, be
anxlously awaited by the Canadian as well
as American fishermen. because, if they can
row outside the line and legally ship on
American schooners, they will not lose the
time and ez pense of going to Gloucester to
ship as has hitherto been their practice.
1t will be remembered that all
the vessels seized last year for
there was prior question about their al
legged offences having been committed inside
the line. Therefore Skipper Mcdonald
thinks he will have no trouble in getting
as to whether he was inside the line or not.
Rear Admiral Luce, with his squadron,
leaves for Bar Harbor on Thursday.
Warships and Launches.
HALIFAX, N. S., Aug S.-The statement
is repeated that the British war fleet now in
these waters is to go to North Bay and
Prince Edward Island coast to protect the
fisheries from American encroachments.
Nothing connecting the men of war with
the fishery service is to be ascertained from
quarters most interested. Commander Ber-
mont of the warship Canada, states that his
ship, the Bellerophon and the Tourmaline,
will sail for Quebec August %, the cruise be-
ing the regular one made every season.
None of the officers were aware that they
were to take part in keeping Americans out
side of the prohibited waters
1t has leaked out that the fishery depart
ment propose making change in the cruis-
er service by replacing the sailing vessels
with small but very swift launches. 1t has
not developed whether the department has
come to final decision regarding the change
but the belief is that the service would be
Immensely improved if the proposals should
be adopted. AT least score of launches
would be procured as soon as possible. They
would be obtained from England at very
short notice, and it would not cost as much
to run one as it would to run sailing yes
sci.
Talking itoyer-
Minister Foster left Halifax Saturday
night for st. John, N. B. 1t isIimpossible to
gather anything more than has already
been reported concerning Saturdays confer
ence between Hon. Mr.. Foster, Commodore
Scott, Consul General Phelan and Admiral
Luce. The Consul General states that he
had an interview with the minister of fish
cries but he cannot say what its nature was
lie will not give an explanation of the aban-
comment OF the plan of issuing circulars to
Nova Scotia fishermen and the only thing to
be ascertained is that the articles prepared
were torn up and the pieces scattered to the
wind. 1t is aScertained that the American
authorities are doing all they can to keep
matters as smooth as possible between the
TWO countries. American fishermen. board
ed by officers of the American war ship Yam
TIC have been warned against violating the
treaty or the Canada customs law and told
that II they do they must suffer the conse-
quenceS.
Captain McDonaId's Hard Luck.
SoURIs, P. E. l., Aug. S.-Captain Nc
Donald, master of this detained fishing
schooner. j. Fl. Perkins, of North Haven,
Me-, seems to have had series of misfort
unes very recently. He is the owner of the
schooner but the present time was his first
visit to North Bay in some years. He is
man of considerable means and can, it is
said, command a hundred thousand dollars
at his home in Maine. A year ago he was
very extensively Interested in the fishing
and canning establishments and also oper-
ated large farm but these proved failures
and he suffered severely. Coupled with
these came the failure of his vessels to Sc
cure good fares and he determined to return
w Vic nSHlLlS BIOuUuS TO see Ill lt COulu HOT
do better himself. He shipped twelve men
at North Haven but was unable to secure
seine master and wanted four more men as
well On arriving off the coast of the island
ne engaged a seine master and the four men.
| According to his story they all went on
| board the Perkins beyond the three mile
line. He notified the captain Of the cruiser,
| giving the facts as stated, but on entering at
| Sourls ne reported crew of only twelve
men, men The cook of the schooner, named
halnnnc in, 10
Customs Collector Foley that Captain Nc
Donald's entry was false, and the Collector
after making further inquiries, arrested the
| vessel. There are several other fishing YES
| sells now lying in Souris harbor in which
Captain Mcdonald has large interests.
President Babson's Ideas.
GLOUCESTER, Mass, Aug 8.-The recent
| capture of the crews and seines of the fish,
| ing schooners j. H. French and Argonaut of
| this port by the Canadian cruiser. is likely
| to prove more important incident than first
| appeared. President Babson of the National
| Fishery Association said today in relation to
| the French and Argonaut 'It is for
| tunate circumstance that in the case of these
vessels, whose seines and boats were s,ized
by the Dominion cutter C5itic for alleged in
fringement of the fishery clauses of the
taking mackerel at the same place, and who
were careful to take the bearings and ascer-
| tain the distance from the shore.
| Capt. Staples of the American schooner
| Vesta, a skilled, experienced master
| mariner, native OF the State
| of Maine, thoroughly acquainted with
| the science of navigation, having been
master of vessels for a large number of
years, before he put his seine into the water
| took the bearings of Soufis Head and East
| port, and made the distance five and one
| half miles from the nearest land. He then.
| in company with the boat of the French,
| threw his seine and took nearly 100 barrels
| of mackerel. He not only felt perfectly
secure in his action, as the cutter was i'm the
| vicinity, bat he knew he was on the high
seas and also knew his rights there The
| boats of the other vessel were less than a
| quarter of mile from his. There was a
| Strong tide setting toward the shore and his
seine and boat drifted, as the others did, in,
| but he Immediately upon securing his fish
| and taking up his seine took the bearings
| and found the tide had taken him to within
| three and one-half miles of the nearest
land. Along with the other boats, Captain
Staples unqualifedly claims that both the
other schooners were outside the three-mile
| limit ..r